USC Trojans, Lincoln Riley Seek Redemption: Big Ten Breakthrough Coming in 2025?

USC will face both Illinois and Nebraska on their schedule this season – with the road contest at Illinois deemed as a make-or-break game for the Trojans. The Fighting Illini boast a consistent and solid offense led by quarterback Luke Altmeyer, but USC will pair well with a rapidly improved defense with a veteran core and young talent under defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn. 

College football analyst Joel Klatt has expressed how important the USC vs. Illinois game is for both teams – a game that could serve each team their first Big Ten loss. 

“They've done a great job in recruiting for next year, one of the best recruiting classes, if not the best, recruiting class in the country. So they're trying to build momentum off the field, and they need to build momentum on the field.” Klatt said on the Joel Klatt Show. “This would be a great opportunity on the road to go and beat an Illinois team that a lot of us think highly of. If they lose their next three games — which would be Michigan, at Notre Dame, and at Nebraska — things could go off the rails quite quickly if they were to lose this one to Illinois.”

The Trojans 2024 record may reflect how coach Lincoln Riley has done leading the Trojans, but his resume speaks volumes for what he is capable of producing. His first season saw an 11-win season with a Heisman Trophy winner to place first in the Pac-12 rankings. 

Illinois is shaping up to be 2025’s newest CFP dark horse – potentially following suit of Indiana. 

The hoosiers 2024 season was one of the most notable stories to come out of college football last year. Under first year head coach Curt Cignetti, Indiana went 11-2 and secured their first ever CFP appearance for the program. 

Klatt has emphasized the rise of Illinois recently and highlighted their returning talent that will make the Fighting Illini elite in the Big Ten. 

"Bret Bielema has built this team into what he wants. Physical, tough." Klatt said. "Sixteen starters are back, nine on offense, seven on defense. Luke Altmyer is back for his third season. … I think they’ve hit the lottery in the Big Ten."

Nebraska has also surfaced as a dark horse this season – with former No. 1 recruit Dylan Raiola as their starting signal-caller. Coach Matt Rhule has been building this team with many years of Big Ten experience and is shaping up to be an elite competitor. 

The last time USC and Nebraska met was the 2014 Holiday Bowl in San Diego, California, where the Trojans secured an overtime thriller 45-42 win over the Cornhuskers.

The Cornhuskers and the Trojans meet in Lincoln, Nebraska on Nov. 1 – marking another difficult away game for USC. 

USC will face Oregon late November in Eugene seeking a win over the Ducks for the first time since 2016. Oregon went 13-1 last season and had arguably one of the best teams in the Big Ten. After 10 former Ducks were drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft, coach Dan Lanning resorted to an offseason dedicated to reshaping and rebuilding. 

While Riley is doing the same, both programs are implementing some of the same changes – including a fresh season-long starting quarterback and implementing new pieces on offense. 

It’s been a concern, for both programs, that new heights may be difficult to reach. Key pieces of Oregon’s elite offense moved onto the next level, and Riley is tirelessly recruiting to find a new spark on the Trojan offense. 

If the success doesn’t come for the Trojans this season, their No. 2 2026 recruiting class will speak for itself. Oregon is also a top 10 recruiting class – marking a solid 2026 matchup if the Ducks and Trojans meet again after this season's matchup. 

The Trojans are searching for redemption after a successful offseason to develop a talented 2025 team – but need to secure wins over Big Ten competitors to deliver a solid season USC fans are itching for.